The film is set, variously in 1906 Australia, and 1961-1964 London and Hollywood. A true story of Walt Disney's pursuit of the rights to P. L. Travers's wonderful children's book, Mary Poppins.
This is the description from Disney Studios:
When Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins," he made them a promise - one that he didn't realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney's plans for the adaptation.
For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn't budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp.
It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.
No spoilers here, but at the very end of the films, when the credits are running, you hear the actual voice of P. L. Travers as she discusses the proposed script with the authors of the screen play, from 1961.
I cried. The 1964 film is a mile marker in my life. I love it. The story behind making the film is marvelous. Go see for yourself.
